1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing system, and more particularly, a substrate processing system and a substrate transferring method, which is capable of improving substrate-transferring efficiency by transferring a substrate bi-directionally through the use of substrate transferring device provided between two rows of processing chambers arranged linearly.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a flat display device and a semiconductor device such as a solar cell can be manufactured by selectively and repetitively applying a plurality of semiconductor-manufacturing processes on a substrate, for example, a deposition process, a photo process, an etching process, a diffusion process, and an ion-implantation process. For smoothly performing the respective semiconductor-manufacturing processes, there is a requirement for a substrate processing system with a multi-chamber structure.
The substrate processing system with the multi-chamber structure is formed in a cluster type including a plurality of processing chambers and a transfer chamber,
wherein the plurality of processing chambers carry out at least one process, and the transfer chamber connects the plurality of processing chambers in common.
The transfer chamber is provided with a substrate transferring device to transfer the externally-provided substrate.
The substrate transferring device loads the substrate to each of the processing chambers, or unloads the substrate from each of the processing chambers by lift and rotation movements of a transferring robot.
However, the related art substrate processing system has the following disadvantages.
First, the substrate is transferred to each of the processing chambers arranged in the cluster type by the rotation of the transferring robot, whereby the yield is lowered due to the increased load of the transferring robot.
Also, because a space for the rotation of the transferring robot has to be ensured, the transfer chamber is increased in size, whereby it causes the increase of maintenance time for the transfer chamber.